The Los Angeles Angels beat the New York Yankees 5-3 to advance to the American League Championship Series.

The Angels' victory in Anaheim gave them a 3-2 win in their best-of-five series versus the big-spending Yankees.

The hosts rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 5-2 lead after three innings - Yankees star Derek Jeter homered in the seventh to set up a tense finish.

The Angels now meet the Chicago White Sox in a best-of-seven contest for the AL pennant and a World Series berth.

Game one of the ALCS is in Chicago on Tuesday.

The real hero for Los Angeles against the Yankees on Monday was rookie pitcher Ervin Santana, who came into the game at the top of the second innings when Angels ace Bartolo Colon was forced out with an inflamed right shoulder.

We'll be on a plane in a couple hours - we'll work on tomorrow on the plane

Mike SciosciaLA Angels manager

Santana, 22, had been scheduled to start the first game of the ALCS but came in and did a great job when required for his team.

He gave up three runs on five hits in five and a third innings to pick up the win. The Angels bullpen then closed out the victory with Francisco Rodriguez claiming the save despite surrendering three hits in the ninth inning.

"We didn't have a lot of options," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

"For [Santana] to keep us in the game against that Yankee side was unbelievable. It was close. we had to pitch our butts off.

"We'll be on a plane in a couple hours. We'll work on tomorrow on the plane."

The night had started well for the Yankees when they went 2-0 up in the second innings.

But Los Angeles refused to be daunted and they took the lead for good in their half of the second when Yankees outfielders Bubba Crosby and Gary Sheffield crashed into each other near the right field wall.

Angels left fielder Garret Anderson lead off the inning with a solo home run. Catcher Bengie Molina followed with a single and, two outs later Steve Finley walked.

With two-on and two-out, Adam Kennedy hit a deep fly to the warning track where Crosby and Sheffield collided, allowing the ball to drop and two runs to score.

Kennedy ended up on third base and was credited with a triple on the play.

Matsui misery

Los Angeles went up 4-2 in the third when Anderson drove in shortstop Orlando Cabrera with a sacrifice fly and added another run when Vladimir Guerrero scored on Darin Erstad's ground ball up the first base line.

The struggling Mike Mussina was then replaced by Yankees ace left-hander Randy Johnson, making his first relief appearance since the 2001 World Series.

The "Big Unit" held the Angels scoreless for four innings before he was replaced by reliever Tom Gordon.

With their season on the line, Jeter led off the seventh with a solo home run to make the score 5-3.

But on an evening when they stranded 11 on base - eight of them by Hideki Matsui - the expensively-assembled Yankees were reminded once again that money does not guarantee success.